Dyson scraps electric car project

Sir James Dyson has announced that a project to build electric cars has been scrapped.

The inventor, best known for his vacuum cleaners, said engineers had developed a "fantastic electric car" but it was not commercially viable.

In an email to workers, Sir James said the company had unsuccessfully tried to find a buyer for the project which launched in 2017.

Sir James said moves were under way to quickly find alternative roles within Dyson for many of the hundreds of employees on the project.

It added that there are enough vacancies to absorb most into Dyson's business.

He said, "For those who cannot, or do not wish to, find alternative roles, we will support them fairly and with the respect deserved.

"Dyson will continue its £2.5 billion investment programme into new technology and grow the Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology."

Sites including Malmesbury in Wiltshire, and Singapore will be expanded.

Development was taking place at Dyson's Hullavington campus in Wiltshire.

Dyson tweeted their plans for the battery electric vehicle in 2017.

In the letter to his employees, Sir James said it was not, "a product failure, or a failure of the team".